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Newborn Jaundice
Newborn jaundice is a fairly common condition in babies. Newborn jaundice is the term used to refer to excessive
bilirubin in the blood. If your baby has newborn jaundice his or her skin will have a yellow cast. The whites of
your baby’s eyes may also be yellow.
Bilirubin normally passes through a person’s liver to be excreted as bile. Sometimes a newborn baby will have a
liver that is still developing. This means they are yet unable to remove all of the bilirubin in their blood. This
will cause the bilirubin to build up in the baby’s blood faster than his or her body can break it down.
Another reason that a baby may have newborn jaundice is that the child’s body is making more bilirubin that the
baby’s liver can manage. Lastly, another reason a baby may have newborn jaundice is if too much bilirubin is being
reabsorbed by the baby’s intestines before the baby’s body has a chance to get rid of it in the stools.
Very high levels of bilirubin can be dangerous. It can cause cerebral palsy, brain damage or deafness. In some very
rare cases newborn jaundice may be a sign of hepatitis. All newborn babies should be checked and screened for
jaundice.
Here is a listing of the most common types of newborn jaundice.
* Normal or Physiological jaundice: This type of newborn jaundice strikes about 50% of all newborn babies. This
type of jaundice will usually appear within two to four days of birth and disappears when the baby is around two
weeks old. This type of newborn jaundice is caused the baby having an immature liver.
* Jaundice in premature babies: This type of newborn jaundice occurs in premature babies. This is due to the
inability of premature babies to excrete bilirubin effectively.
* Breast milk jaundice: This type of jaundice is caused by the mother’s breast milk. It affects approximately 1% of
breast fed babies and generally arises between days four and seven. Breast milk jaundice can last up to ten weeks.
It is caused by certain substances that are produced by a mother’s breast milk. These substances can make the
baby’s bilirubin levels to rise.
* Blood incompatibility jaundice: This type of jaundice occurs if the mother and baby have two different types of
blood. The mother’s body produces antibodies that fight against the baby destroying the baby’s red blood cells.
This will cause the baby to have a buildup of bilirubin. This type of jaundice usually arises from the first day of
the baby’s life.
Years ago new mothers and babies stayed in the hospital for quite a while. Today, mothers are sent home with their
new babies a couple of days after giving birth. It is important that new parents keep an eye on their babies to
watch for signs of newborn jaundice. An easy way to test your baby to see if he or she has jaundice is to press
your fingertip on your baby’s nose or forehead. A baby without jaundice will have skin that shows white after being
pressed. A baby with jaundice will have skin that shows yellow after it is pressed with your fingertip.
It is important to note that this simple home test works for babies of all races. Jaundice is easily treated today.
The key is making sure your baby receives the attention he or she needs at the first sign of jaundice.
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